Hi Hippyginger

Sorry to hear that youve had to go through all this. Eventually it will be sorted out. Take your holiday to Cornwall as you are not likely to get a date for surgery for several weeks our local NHS has a wait of 9 months for non urgent BCC. Hope your telephone call goes well.

Ed

Thanks for that Ed. The telephone consult is actually from Max-Fax Admissions so heaven knows when I'm likely to get seen to but.....Will definitely do my best to enjoy my Cornish time whilst trying to ignore the itchy, weepy, yucky, scabby thing on my temple

Hi Hippyginger

I hope that they prioritise you and you get your procedure soon. Be careful of your skin in that strong Cornish sunshine when it comes out. UV index is still UV6 between 11.00 and 2.00pm. 

Ed

Have no fear Ed, it's always SPF 50 all the way for me having been born a fair skinned, blue eye redhead. Mind you, the weather's not looking too wonderful for our first week! Still waiting for my phone consult & to be honest, not holding my breath because they haven't added it to my appointments on my NHS App or sent a confirmation text. I know how busy they all are but it's still making me on edge and being glued to my phone everywhere I go today. What will be, will be.

Hi Hippyginger and thank you for your post.

I am sorry to learn about what you have been going through. Your experience sounds very stressful.

I can understand the urgent referral to max fax team due to the location of the basal cell carcinoma, the fact that your GP has tried various creams to treat the area; and your immunosuppressed status due to your medication for your arthritis.

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)is the most commonest type of non melanoma skin cancer. It generally takes years to develop in most people. Most people will only need surgery as their primary treatment.

It's very rare for basal cell skin cancer to spread to another part of the body to form a secondary cancer. Basal cell carcinoma’s are rarely seen as life threatening.

You may like to read about the different types of non-melanoma skin cancers at our website.

I can understand that the timing is not the best so close to your holiday in Cornwall.

You can use your telephone consultation to ask about treatment timelines, what to expect during and after surgery, and if your Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment needs to be adjusted for the procedure.

I hope you know more soon and everything will be okay

Please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5 pm Monday to Friday.

Kind regards

Tina

Oh thank you so much Tina for your response, it's much appreciated. I'm still hoping, (against hope), that I will get this phone consult today but as it's already 3hours past the time I was given, it's looking doubtful. 

It's as if this thing has gone into hyper-drive though & the fact it's creeping towards my eye is the most worrying thing, which I'm all set to mention when/if this phone consult happens. I also have Sjögren's syndrome & Fibromyalgia & this stress is making all those symptoms worse too. Sorry to sound dramatic & I know that as far as any form of cancer goes, BCC is probably the least one to worry about with so many others suffering much more devastating forms.

Ah well, I shall carry on trying to sort out which clothes etc to pack into our touring caravan & try to only focus on that for the rest of the day at least.

Once again, thank you so much for your time.

Hippyginger x

Well the phone call from the Consultant never came! I was checking my NHS App daily and wonder of wonders, 2days after the call should've happened, I had a copy of a letter from the Dermatologist on there, (=\,hard copy apparent in email mail), saying that after 'being seen'!!!!! NOT seen, only teledermatolgy photographs would have been seen by them. Well basically it says that they will be removing this suspected BCC in their outpatient department under local anaesthetic,(which is all I would've been expecting), and that it may require a flap or graft reconstruction though they expect to be able to close this area primarily with dissolvable stitches and that they will be able to discuss the procedure in more detail on the day! No mention, however, of any estimated timeline I'll be expected to wait for the surgery. Having been a nurse way back in the days of gaslight, I do understand the pressures on the NHS and appreciate any time doctors etc. can spare me, but with my immunosuppression and the way this thing is growing even after both the diclofenic gel treatment and the Imiquimod treatment after that,  it is a concern  especially as the latest bit is getting closer towards my eye. Also not feeling too great about the possibility of reconstruction being needed on such a delicate area. Not that I've ever considered myself a beauty, and anyone who knows me will tell you I'm always joking about looking like the back of a bus lol I just want to get rid of this. The scabby, bleeding and sore thing doesn't look too pleasant either lol.

Hi Hippyginger and thank you for posting again

I am glad to hear that you have heard from the dermatology department and are now more aware of how the dermatologist wishes to treat your basal cell carcinoma.

I appreciate waiting any length of time to be treated is very stressful; especially with your other co morbidities.

If you haven’t already done so, it may be helpful to voice your concerns with the hospital's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) 

In the meantime, all I can really suggest is that you talk about your concerns with your GP. It may be possible for you to transfer to a hospital with a shorter waiting list for surgery. The website my planned care gives you advice on waiting times and local services.

There is always the option of going private. I'm afraid I don't know how much it would cost. But in most hospitals now there is a Private Patient's Officer who may be able to advise on this further. The Private Health website has information about private hospitals in the UK and may also be able to give you some ideas.

I hope this reply helps in some way. 

Take care

Tina

Fantastic news! Got home from Cornwall on the 13th Sept and rang Max-Fax on Monday 15th and was told they'd ring me back. Didn't hold my breath of course because as we all know that call can take days or even not happen at all lol.

But then on the Wednesday afternoon got a call asking if I could make it in for 7am the following morning for the surgery! Thrilled, so of course, accepted that appointment which only meant rescheduling my routine 3 monthly blood test which had been booked for the same morning.

The Max-Fax Registrar,(heaven knows what they're called these days), saw me on the day surgery unit and once she looked at it said the Consultant would decide whether I would need a flap or skin graft once I waa in theatre but one or other would definitely be needed. Then her junior,(used to be called House Surgeons in my day lol), did the usual speel about the possible things that might happen post-op etc.

Nicely settled in theatre & with my choice of music playing,(Ed Sheeran), the Consultant now seeing my lesion for the first time other than in the teledermatology photos she'd been sent from the Dermatologist told me  a skin graft taken from my neck would be required, then my local anaesthesia was given & 2 hours later I was out of theatre.

No real post-op pain apart from my temperomandibular joint on that side restricting the opening of my mouth for eating as the gap between upper and lower teeth is about half an inch still 11 days post-op but that's not surprising the amount of painless tugging that went on with surgeons working on removing the skin graft and the temple lesion at the same time lol I even get tmj pain after a simple filling at the dentist lol Also, where the topical silk suturea were tightly keeping the compression sponge on the graft, 3 of those sutures were pulling at my eye making my vision a bit off which hasn't been helped by not being able to get my glasses on lol

But, the graft seems to have taken the nurse told me when the sponge was removed a week later which is fantastic news & my neck wound's healing nicely with no more dressings required. Only one or possibly 2 more temple wound check & dressing changes to go then a case of waiting for the results.

Not even worrying about lab resilts or scars, just thankful to be rid of the itchy scaly thing under the arm of my specs lol The Registrar kindly had photos taken of both wounds before any dressings went on and emailed them to me so that I could prepare myself for what to expect lol

Thank all that's Holy for our wonderful NHS and for helpful, supportive forums like this.